Think of it this way: Mezcal is like the scotch of the agave-based world of booze--there's an undeniable smokiness that it lends to anything it touches. While made in a similar process to tequila, the cooked agave used to distill mezcal gets its earthiness from a two- to three-day smoking process in stone-lined underground pits known as palenques.

Ready to start adding mezcal smokiness to your cocktails? Here are a few easy ideas.

Mix it with tequila: Adding mezcal to tequila-based drinks is the easiest way to start incorporating the spirit into your cocktail diet. The similarities between the two liquors means they'll work well together while mezcal adds its signature smoky flavor. Just swap out half the tequila in a cocktail for mezcal. The most obvious place to start is with a margarita, like this Beachfire Margarita--sweet, smoky, and satisfying.

Use it as a base spirit in your favorite classic cocktail: Rather than figuring out if five other ingredients in a modern cocktail can balance out and compliment the brawny assertiveness of mezcal, the booze-heavy structure of two- or three-ingredient classic cocktails make substituting bases easy. Plus, you'll start with a flavor combination you already know and be able to see how it affects the drink.

You'll want to look for drinks that have a good amount of bitterness or acidity to play off the mezcal: Think ingredients like ginger, Campari, sweet vermouth, lime juice, and sherry. Smokified variants on classics like the Mezcal Manhattan, Mezcal Mule, and Smokey Negroni all seamlessly sub out their key players (rye, vodka, and gin, respectively) for mezcal.

Drink it straight: This one's for advanced mezcal drinkers only. Before you break out the Margaritaville shot glasses, remember: We're not talking about throwing back two-ounce pours in one go here. Once you grasp the basic idea of what mezcal brings to mixed drinks, it's time to explore what different bottles of mezcal can bring to the table.

Just as with tequila, there are aging-related classifications out there--joven (aged under two months), reposado (aged two months to a year), and añejo (aged one to three years). Sipping straight mezcal, without any of the distractions of other spirits or mix-ins, is the best way to hone in on what you really prefer.

To get started, grab a bottle of Del Maguey Vida Mezcal: its slightly lower proof and reasonable $34 price point make it the perfect starter mezcal for anyone looking to work the spirit into the home bar rotation.